Chapter 296: Rehearsal

"Lu Yan He has always been very good."

In an interview, Chen Lingling said this.

"He didn't call himself a genius actor; we did," Chen Lingling said. "However, we really shouldn't say that anymore, because it's very easy to ruin a young actor by over-praising them."

The interview with Chen Lingling by *Television Review* magazine had both video and text versions, and Lu Yan He was mentioned in it.

Her account was very plain; she herself wasn't the type to talk big.

"Having known him for so long, he isn't the type of personality who likes to show off or put himself on display. Even during the promotional period of our drama, he basically just cooperated with the production team's promotional rhythm," Chen Lingling said. "I also saw that promotional clip aired on Jingtai. It probably wasn't something he wanted to do himself. In fact, this kind of promotional clip aired on a TV station basically has nothing to do with the actor's team; it's all done by the station itself. Of course, I estimate they wanted to play with a promotional method that looked innovative. Isn't self-boasting very popular now? They thought this kind of deliberate self-boasting would fit the trend, but they didn't expect the effect to be not very good."

"If there is a suitable opportunity, of course I will continue to cooperate with him. When Director Luo Yuzhong recommended him to me, I was very optimistic about him. After working with him on *Phoenix Terrace*, I became even more optimistic. He is an actor who thinks and knows how to improve himself."

Chen Lingling's evaluation of Lu Yan He was the first time a public figure had spoken up for him in public media in recent times.

And the focus of everyone's attention was: "In fact, this kind of promotional clip aired on a TV station basically has nothing to do with the actor's team; it's all done by the station itself."

Lu Yan He's fans were the first to notice this point.

So, the things Lu Yan He was widely mocked for before didn't really have much to do with him? He might not have even known about it?

Chen Lingling's words sparked a heated discussion. In fact, she had already made many things very clear; it just depended on how everyone interpreted them.

Chen Ziyan hadn't expected Chen Lingling to say such things in an interview.

Especially since *Phoenix Terrace* was still airing on Jingtai.

Now, the ratings for *Phoenix Terrace* on Jingtai had already broken 1%, and it looked like it was about to become the highest-rated TV drama of the year.

Its effective online viewership had also exceeded 2.1 billion, making it one of the highest-viewed dramas of the year.

Chen Lingling's words, however, undoubtedly pointed the blame for that promotional clip at Jingtai.

"Only Director Chen has the guts to say something like this."

"Jingtai is heartless, putting Lu Yan He on the fire to roast, and not saying a word when something goes wrong."

"So it turns out Jingtai was the one behind it all along."

"Then why didn't Lu Yan He stand up and explain a thing or two?"

"How could he explain? Should a small actor just stand up and say it's Jingtai's fault? His later projects, *Seventeen Layers* and *Friends*, are both collaborations with Jingtai. Could he still say this promotional clip had nothing to do with him and was all Jingtai's own doing? Would his later dramas still be aired then?"

The voices of discussion increased again.

Both inside and outside the circle.

Especially regarding the relationship between Jingtai and Lu Yan He.

He Yingzi was quite gloating, saying: "Originally, Lu Yan He's cooperative relationship with Jingtai was so close that I was quite worried that Jingtai would give him all the best resources later. Now that such a scene has happened, it's absolutely impossible. I'm relieved."

Because of the popularity of *Phoenix Terrace*, Lang Xia had truly become popular for a wave.

Now, not only did Lang Xia have several commercial deals chasing him for cooperation, but Jingtai's programs also reached out, wanting Lang Xia to be a resident guest or appear for a flight of one or two episodes.

Just as He Yingzi had told Lang Xia before, once this drama aired, Lang Xia would have a name and a reputation.

Lang Xia said: "But Director Chen is so supportive of him, likes him, and even said she would cooperate with him on future dramas."

Lang Xia actually had words in his heart that he hadn't said out loud. Others felt the focus of Chen Lingling's statement was the explanation about the promotional clip, but what Lang Xia focused on was the sentence: "He basically just cooperated with the production team's promotional rhythm."

Lang Xia knew that he was the one who hadn't cooperated with the production team's promotional rhythm.

From the moment *Phoenix Terrace* started airing, He Yingzi bought hot searches for him like crazy, almost one every day, with popularity rivaling that of Zeng Qiao.

Even Zeng Qiao started to dislike him. He didn't say it directly, but Lang Xia could feel it.

The production team's promotion rarely included Lang Xia, until Lu Yan He withdrew from the production team's promotion because of the Jingtai promotional clip incident; only then did his promotion increase a little.

Many things didn't need to be said directly; Lang Xia also had a feeling. Everyone up and down the *Phoenix Terrace* production team was somewhat repulsed by his marketing method. Especially Huangcheng and Chen Lingling; although the two of them didn't say an extra word, Lang Xia could clearly feel their "dislike" for him.

He Yingzi, however, said it didn't matter.

"You don't need to worry about these things. As long as you are popular enough, these things won't be issues in the future. It's not like it's a major matter of principle."

Lang Xia said: "Will this affect my future cooperation with Director Chen Lingling?"

"Do you think you can have long-term cooperation just by being honest and not marketing yourself?" He Yingzi said. "She only makes a film every three or four years. You would miss such an opportunity to become popular, and wait three or four years to cooperate with her again? Have you thought clearly about why you are cooperating with her?"

He Yingzi knew what Lang Xia was worried about.

This cooperation was unpleasant, and the next time Director Chen Lingling made a film, perhaps she wouldn't look for Lang Xia even if there was a suitable role.

"If you are popular, even if they mind this incident, they won't stop cooperating with you because of it," He Yingzi said directly. "As a star, the greatest virtue is being popular. If you aren't popular enough, no matter how well you do in other aspects, it's just a burden."

Lang Xia: "..."

This sentence was also very much in line with He Yingzi's style.

Jingtai was discussed by many netizens because of this incident, but this time, no matter how many people were discussing it, the relevant terms didn't make it onto the relevant hot search lists.

Chen Ziyan knew what was going on at a glance and said with disdain: "When Yan He was being scolded, I didn't see them take action, but when they were scolded themselves, they knew how to suppress the heat. Bad luck."

Lu Qingzhen smiled. "Isn't that just Jingtai's usual piss-poor attitude?"

Chen Ziyan said: "If it weren't for the two upcoming drama collaborations, I really wouldn't want to say another word to them."

Lu Qingzhen asked: "What is Yan He's attitude toward them?"

"He doesn't interface with others either; he just has meetings from time to time with Hu Siwei and Bai Jingnian. What attitude could he have?" Chen Ziyan was a bit annoyed. "They had a program that wanted Yan He to go on, and I rejected it directly. They actually had the nerve to come and ask us why we weren't cooperating with the promotion. I scolded them again. I think if this continues, my reputation at Jingtai will be completely ruined."

"What are you afraid of? It's as if you didn't scold them, they would treat you as someone easy to talk to," Lu Qingzhen said. "To deal with these people who are just occupying positions without doing work, you have to scold them when you should. Only when you scold them to their faces do they learn their lesson. There are too many people in this station who are just drifting along. To be able to make such a promotional clip without even checking with your side once before releasing it, their brains are just a pile of paste. If you don't scold them, they won't wake up."

Lu Qingzhen spoke with righteous indignation, as if she had suffered a great loss from these people before.

Chen Ziyan nodded. "I've discovered that being an agent is truly a cycle. When you have an artist in your hands who can negotiate and stand up to people, your back straightens. If the artists in your hands all need others to give them opportunities, then you have to bend your back. It's thanks to Little Lu being promising that I can stand straight and scold people."

Lu Qingzhen: "Then you're being humble. When you want to scold people, do you care whether the artist you're managing is popular or not? When you were fighting with those people back then, you didn't care that Chen Bige was just a new actor who had just debuted. Why do you think you became famous in one battle in this circle?"

Chen Ziyan: "Is that so?"

"Isn't it?" Lu Qingzhen countered.

Chen Ziyan was silent for a moment.

"It seems it really is."

Lu Qingzhen said: "Now Lang Xia is relying on marketing, and his data has caught up with Yan He. Of course, I know you don't care about this temporary data. I'm just reminding you that in this era, relying on data operations might not be a way to fight for the long term. I can guess He Yingzi's thoughts more or less. It doesn't matter if Lang Xia's reputation is ruined now; the key is that he's popular and more people know him. Later, when topics are created, he can slowly wash his reputation clean. It's almost always this set of tactics."

Chen Ziyan: "I know, but can you say that Lang Xia can pose a threat to Yan He now?"

"Originally, you couldn't say that, but this circle is inherently about chasing fame and fortune. He Yingzi has taken on quite a few fast-moving consumer goods brands that you look down on for Lang Xia. In the eyes of others, Lang Xia's commercial deals are one after another, which is real popularity, the kind recognized even by capital. And Yan He... his commercial deals have always followed the route of 'better to have nothing than to have something substandard.' *Phoenix Terrace* is airing very well, and there are commercial deals coming to him, but none have met your standards," Lu Qingzhen said. "In the eyes of some people, this has become a sign that Lu Yan He is not as 'really popular' as Lang Xia."

Chen Ziyan: "Are these people blind? Can't they see the quality of what the two of them are taking on?"

"How many people will actually study it like that? Quantity itself is a standard," Lu Qingzhen said. "That's why I said you need to pay attention, because in some aspects, you still retain the way of thinking of an agent from many years ago. It's not that it can't be used, but it might conflict with the consensus of the current environment."

Lu Qingzhen added: "If it weren't for the fact that Yan He's *Friends* is about to air soon and the topic level is also very high, honestly, with Lang Xia's exposure one after another, in the eyes of many partners, Lang Xia might not be worse to cooperate with than Lu Yan He. After all, Lang Xia isn't that picky."

Lu Qingzhen's words made Chen Ziyan think deeply.

Why did it become like this?

Chen Ziyan thought to herself, is it really that she has been aiming too high? Was her strategic decision for Lu Yan He's path a mistake?

Such doubts circled in Chen Ziyan's mind for a long time.

Naturally, no one from Jingtai stood up to respond to Chen Lingling's words.

Neither did Lu Yan He's side.

After a period of discussion, the heat died down again.

Lu Yan He, together with Hu Siwei and Bai Jingnian, finally finalized the cast for *Friends*.

The lineup of the six leads was finally set, and Bai Jingnian immediately gathered the actors to start the script reading meeting.

The huge criticism *Friends* was currently facing put a lot of pressure on everyone.

Relatively speaking, Lu Yan He was the one standing at the very front facing the pressure.

Because he was the most famous one.

Now that Lu Yan He's reputation was improving, as the plot of *Phoenix Terrace* began to reach its climax, the guard played by Lu Yan He also began to constantly reveal his secrets and ushered in several heavy scenes. His performance basically went on hot searches along with the production team's promotion every day.

However, although everyone's impression of Lu Yan He had improved, they still didn't think highly of *Friends*.

Not just the audience, but many people in the circle also didn't think highly of *Friends*.

Under these circumstances, they really didn't know what else to say. The drama hadn't even been filmed yet. Were they supposed to hold a megaphone and shout to the world: "We will definitely film this drama very well!"

After everyone sat down, Lu Yan He instantly felt the atmosphere was a bit awkward.

He turned his head to look at everyone.

Except for Yan Liang and Wen Minglan, the other three people selected through auditions seemed a bit nervous and uneasy, sitting in their seats, silently lowering their heads, not speaking.

"Our *Friends* leads are finally gathered. This is the first time everyone is sitting together to discuss the script." Hu Siwei, as the producer, spoke first, although he was also very nervous in his heart and worried about the future of this drama. "Our drama can be considered truly popular before airing. I think everyone should be able to hear a lot of voices every day."

Bai Jingnian smiled and touched his nose, saying: "The first thing I do when I get up from bed every day is to open my phone to see how many people have sent me messages questioning why I wanted to be the director of this drama. My head is huge."

Lu Yan He added: "Who isn't?"

Several people looked at each other and suddenly laughed at the same time.

The laughter stunned the others.

Only Yan Liang, who knew Lu Yan He best, knew what they wanted to do from Lu Yan He's reaction. He smiled and teased: "It's okay, you three stand at the front to take the pressure, and we'll just follow behind. Your pressure has increased, but more people know me. Let this kind of pressure last a little longer."

Wen Minglan also laughed and said: "The script for *Friends* is very good. I like it very much. Sister Ziyan said that she has never made a mistake in picking scripts. From Sister Bige to Brother Yongzhou, and then to Yan He, I believe in Sister Ziyan's vision. So, no matter how many people outside are singing the doom of this drama, I don't care."

Lu Yan He said to Wen Minglan: "True peer, you're awesome."

Several people chatted and laughed, trying to make the atmosphere on the scene a little more relaxed.

And at this time, those few newcomers were slowly infected by everyone's optimistic mood and were no longer so panicked.

The popularity of *Friends* before filming started almost exceeded all the dramas of this year.

It seemed that no drama had ever received such great attention and discussion before filming started.

So much so that many people began to wonder, wouldn't *Friends* decide to air on both TV and online in the end?

With such great popularity, this drama could definitely sell for a good price on video platforms.

Someone left a message under Hu Siwei's social media platform, questioning if there was such a plan.

Hu Siwei replied with two words: "Bullshit."

During the two days of script reading, the actors had already smoothed out the scripts for the first three episodes.

Lu Yan He had always been the one who needed others to guide his acting, but in this drama, he suddenly became the senior.

Of course, the basic acting skills of the six people were basically fine.

The three who were already famous didn't need to be mentioned, and the three newcomers were also selected through auditions, and all aspects were relatively good.

Lu Yan He had always said one thing: "Although I wrote the script, a sitcom has a big difference from other types of dramas, which is that a sitcom must be adjusted around the actor's own characteristics to truly release the charm of the character. Other dramas are actors trying hard to fit themselves into the character's mold, while a sitcom is about blending the actor's own traits with the character, because it is inherently light on story and heavy on characters."

He emphasized this so that when everyone was rehearsing the lines, if there was any line that didn't sound smooth when read from their mouths, they should propose changes in time and not be embarrassed to say it.

Rehearsal was very necessary. In these few days, Lu Yan He had already made many changes to the script's lines.

All the lines were written by him, but different actors had different habits, and adjustments had to be made to make everything more natural.

This drama—at least in the first season—the real main line was the exes Hu Fan and Li Lili who didn't get married at the wedding.

But in terms of screen time, the screen time for all six people was actually about the same, relatively equal.

On the day of the official start of filming, there was no grand opening ceremony like in big production teams.

However, another Jingtai executive who was also at the opening site suddenly said to the media present: "Regarding everyone's opinions, we have heard them all. We are also seriously considering adjusting *Friends* from a TV station exclusive broadcast to a TV-online simultaneous broadcast mode. This is a very wonderful sitcom, please support it."

Once these words were spoken, it shocked everyone at the scene and shocked the entire internet.

*Television Review* directly published an article: This marketing move is unheard of and unseen.

Netizens were even more furious: Shameless, you're playing us!

A producer joked: From now on, my dramas will also first announce TV exclusive broadcast, and then adjust it back later. Why not earn the popularity that comes for free?

And at the *Friends* filming site, it was originally the first day of filming, but as a result, because of these words, the first shot wasn't even filmed by noon. ===== CHAPTER 297 =====